Cinnamon tea usually refers to a beverage consisting either of black tea mixed with ground cinnamon or other types of cinnamon extract, or a drink made by steeping cinnamon bark or ground cinnamon in hot water. Both kinds of cinnamon tea can be consumed hot or cold, and are sometimes mixed with a sweetener such as honey. Cinnamon in various forms, including cinnamon tea, is commonly used as a remedy in traditional and alternative medicine for everything from digestion and circulation problems to inhibiting the growth of certain cancer cells. Also, the compound cinnamaldehyde, which gives cinnamon its particular smell and flavor, has been shown to have anti-microbial properties.
The inner bark of trees belonging to the Cinnamomum genus, which are native to Southeast Asia, is used to make cinnamon. This bark is dried and sold in the form of cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon. A common way to prepare cinnamon stick tea is to pour 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water over one cinnamon stick and let it steep for approximately 10 minutes. Cinnamon tea can also be prepared by mixing 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon with 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling water. Alternatively, cinnamon tea can be made by replacing the water in these recipes with black tea.
In alternative medicine, cinnamon tea is recommended as a treatment for a wide variety of ailments. For example, it is often recommended as a remedy for stomach problems such as diarrhea and constipation, and as a way to improve blood circulation and achieve weight loss. Cinnamon tea can also be used to treat cold symptoms, menstrual pain, arthritis, and various other health problems. A common recommendation is to drink one cup of cinnamon tea before bedtime and one cup in the morning to achieve these health benefits.
Scientific research shows that cinnamon can have several possible medical properties. For example, studies indicate that ingesting cinnamon can reduce the joint inflammation of arthritis, lower cholesterol, and help maintain normal blood sugar levels for those with type 2 diabetes. Other studies show that cinnamon can inhibit the growth of cancer cells associated with colon cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia. Cinnamaldehyde, which is extracted from cinnamon, has also been shown to inhibit the growth of skin cancer cells and has proven anti-microbial properties. For example, cinnamaldehyde can significantly reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth.